Lotus Evora S – The Freddie Mercury Edition

If there has ever been a brand which has more comprehensively turned its core values upside-down, then I can’t think of a better example than Lotus. That’s not to say that it’s the wrong decision, merely that the transformation is so acute that you’d forgiven for thinking you’d just walked onto the set of the Twilight Zone.

For a car maker that was founded on the principles of performance through purity of purpose, Lotus has now become the automotive equivalent of a B-grade celebrity – those who seek fame and attention through headlines rather than through their own achievements. We’d love to see Lotus return to being a company that promotes its brand through the giant-slaying performance of its cars, but I fear those days may now be behind us.

This latest product, a one-off Evora S, has been designed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the late Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen and namesake of the Mercury Phoenix Trust – the HIV AIDS charity set-up in his honour.

Rather than paraphrase the contents of Lotus’ press release, we thought you’d enjoy reading it in its glorious entirety. It’s one of those classic Lotus press releases that must have been written late in the night after a few drinks..

Another One Bites The Dust…..

Lotus announces its latest charitable donation for the HAMMER TO FALL on: a bespoke Evora S for the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

CALLING ALL GIRLS and boys – September 5th will see the Savoy Hotel play host to a very special celebration, the 65th birthday of THE HERO, the late, great Freddie Mercury.

DEAR FRIENDS of Freddie will unite in GOOD COMPANY at Freddie’s FLASH birthday bash which is set to be ‘a unique night of comedy and rock and roll’ as the climax to this year’s Freddie For A Day. The highlight of the night will be an auction to raise funds for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the HIV AIDS charity set-up in his honour by band mates Brian May, Roger Taylor and Queen manager Jim Beach after the singer’s death in 1991.

Forget a BICYCLE RACE, on this special occasion FAT BOTTOM CARS (forgive us Freddie) is what it’s all about as the bespoke Lotus Evora S headlines the auction alongside fantastic donations from Brian May and Roger Taylor, Top Gear, Raymond Weil, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the West End stage hit ‘WE WILL ROCK YOU.

The pearl white MADE IN HEAVEN Evora S with Freddie Mercury inspired theme represents A KIND OF MAGIC combination from the Lotus Design team: the power and prowess of the critically acclaimed Lotus with the dramatic styling befitting of a British rock legend. Featuring deep red and gold highlights this Evora S is well deserving of Freddie’s autograph which is also included in the scheme.

The exterior BODY LANGUAGE features a white, red and gold colour scheme inspired by the iconic costume Freddie wore for the 1986 “Magic tour” and features beautiful silver on white iconography. The front fender references the Montreux Freddie memorial statue with the line “Lover of life. Singer of songs” taken from the statue’s inscription.

Inside, the one-off yellow interior, also inspired by Freddie’s 1986 stage costume, includes a union flag on the back of the seats and the incorporation of a crown hints at Freddie’s playful royal role-play. And it goes without saying that the sound system or more specifically the RADIO, will send the lucky owner GA, GA.

Brian May had these words to say of Lotus’ participation: “Our friends at Lotus have donated a stunning Evora S for our auction which I know will be a massive fund-raiser for the Mercury Phoenix Trust. We cannot thank them enough for their generous support on what is a very special occasion for everyone who knew and loved Freddie.”

Group Lotus Director of Corporate Operations Gino Rosato said: “We were only too happy to contribute to this fantastic cause. We have created something very special to raise money for Mercury Phoenix Trust and we hope the car goes to a collector who really enjoys it.”

Although the auctioneer’s final hammer will not fall until late into the night of September 5th, eager buyers don’t have to leave it IN THE LAP OF THE GODS, they can get their offers in well beforehand at: www.freddieforaday.com/auction

I would love to add a quote from Lotus CEO Dany Bahar to this announcement, but he’s been unusually quiet in this instance..